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Some 7,000 Bangladeshi workers have been deported from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in January- February period of this year as the crackdown continues against the irregular foreign workers, insiders have said.
Of them, around 300 were women workers who returned home because of workplace exploitations, according to welfare desk at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and BRAC migration programme.
Migration rights campaigners urged the authorities concerned to take diplomatic initiatives to check such deportation.
Syed Saiful Haque, Chairperson of WARBE Development Foundation, suggested not sending any worker to the job destination countries without proper investigation on job demand and company profile.
He expressed concern that the workers spent huge amount of money as migration cost to go to the Arab country. Many of them returned home only two to three months after their migration.
The workers spent around Tk 400,000 to Tk 700,000 each to go to the country, the returned workers mentioned. They managed the funds through borrowing, mortgaging and selling assets.
Saudi Arabia has been continuing drive against irregular foreign workers since last two years. If any worker stays in the country without valid job, they will be arrested and sent home.
Women are returning home due to different types of workplace exploitations, including physical and sexual, or denial of wages.
On the other hand, a total of 24,281 workers have been deported from Saudi Arabia in 2019. Of them, at least 1,200 were women.
Sector insides said the workers those who are going to the gulf nation through so-called free visas, they are facing more problem as jobs are not available for such workers there.
Saudi Arabia has suspended recruiting foreign workers in 42 trades as part of its economic reform. So if the workers are engaged to these trades, they will be arrested and deported even if they have legal work permits.
About 2.0 million Bangladeshis are currently working in Saudi Arabia, officials said.